Many business owners, managers (other than human resources professionals), and employees view employee handbooks as pesky hindrances to flexibility and growth.  The contrary is true, and knowing when and how to use your handbook could save your business from hours of lost productivity, low morale, and expensive lawsuits. Solutions to 3 Common Issues Await in Your Handbook  1.  Time Off/Leave Requests Your employee handbook could guide you through the following analysis: Does the employee have a right to time off? You are likely familiar with common requests for leave due to illness,pregnancy, disability, and jury duty.  However, you may not be aware of lesser-known leaves such as those for victims of domestic violenceor for alcohol rehabilitation.  Thus, when the leave request is uncommon, check your employee handbook to confirm whether the employee is entitled to time off. Whether and what type of documentation must the employee provide? Is the time off paid or unpaid? Does the request for time off trigger your duty to engage in the interactive process? Does the request for time off trigger your duty to accommodate? Although … Continue reading →